How and why do people experience emotions? What are the consequences of emotions and emotion regulation? My research asks about contextual, individual, and other factors that shape emotions and the ways we manage those emotions. I draw on affective science, cognitive science, and psychophysiology to ask questions at the boundary between individual experience and shared human problems. I approach science with a commitment to transparent, reproducible practices.
Emotion regulation and climate change
People feel a range of emotions about climate change, yet there seems to be a mismatch between the scale of the problem and the intensity of our collective responses. Most of my current work focuses on how people regulate emotional responses to potential climate change information, the mechanisms involved, and whether regulation — including cognitive reappraisal and mindful acceptance — leads to different outcomes. I study these questions using psychophysiological measurement, self-report, and behavioral paradigms with adult populations.
Psychophysiology
I use electroencephalography (EEG) and peripheral physiological methods to study emotion and emotion regulation in the brain and body. I am particularly interested in event-related potentials (ERPs) as measures of attention, appraisal, motivation, and emotional arousal. My work often focuses on the late positive potential (LPP), which is a complicated signal. In part to better understand that signal, I am exploring ways to leverage the information value of EEG data more than traditional ERP calculations.
Earlier and collaborative work
My research background includes work on mindfulness and its social and emotional effects, including ERP studies of disgust regulation and prosocial behavior following contemplative practice. In collaborative work, I have examined how time pressure affects stress and cognitive performance, including spatial navigation and fine motor tasks.